Coming at you from the forward operating base that is her home office, Bronwen is joined today by the highly decorated Major General Allen Harrell. Now retired, he is an experienced commander, officer of intelligence, skilled infantryman, field artillerist, disposer of explosive ordinances, trained parachutist, and US Army Ranger School alum or, as Bronwen knows him best, her Uncle Allen. In the US Army, following the rules can be a matter of life and death, though some may strike the average civilian as downright arbitrary. The rules and regulations that soldiers follow are laid out in more than 100,000 Army documents that include everything from how to organize a pickup game of basketball to how to stay alive. Join us for a surface-scratching chat on a few rules of military life, including why soldiers should never walk on the grass, the origins of the buzz cut, and who the Jody is in what is known as a “Jody call,” as well as the requirement to follow orders cheerfully, why Allen ate rather than drank his coffee rations at Ranger School, and whether or not there is such a thing a silent Velcro. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Find out what the term “self-licking ice cream cone” means.
• An introduction to Allen Harrell and his career trajectory in the military.
• Allen explains the significance of the salute; rendering mutual respect between soldiers.
• Why soldiers shouldn’t walk while talking on a cellphone and never walk on the grass.
• Some unique punishments doled out by superior officers for small infractions.
• Hear about some of the ways that Allen has pranked rookie officers.
• The origins of the buzz cut and other military appearance regulations.
• Why the Army is so strict with uniformity in what outwardly appear to be minor details.
• How this uniformity has carried over into Allen’s daily life now that he is retired.
• Learn what a “Jody call” is and what the character of Jody represents.
• Discover the different types of bugle calls on an Army base.
• Behaving in a manner unbecoming of “an officer and a gentlemen” according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
• Allen explains why the soldier’s handbook necessitates following orders “cheerfully.”
• Why Allen ate his coffee rations while he was at the US Army Ranger School.
• Hear about the first time he jumped out of a helicopter.
• Rule number one in the 28 Rules of Ranging: don’t forget nothing!
• Where the element of surprise fits into MOOSEMUSS, a military acronym for the nine principles of war.
• Allen responds to some fascinating trivia, including whether or not silent Velcro exists.
• Why a chihuahua will not follow Allen’s orders.

**Major General (Retired) Allen Harrell is a retired member of the U.S. Army.  The contents of the podcast are based on his own personal experiences and the views expressed are not intended to reflect the official position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army."

LINKS

Allen Harrell on LinkedIn

US Army Rangers

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